Sep. 8, 2018
04:42 pm JST

Sep. 8, 2018
04:47 pm JST

The days of cranking up massive trade surpluses with the US through deliberate state policy are at an end and it’s wishful thinking in the extreme to imagine that there’s any going back to the way things used to be. Increasing numbers of people in the US and elsewhere are now waking to the danger of unbalanced trade and there is increasing awareness that the globalist project is facing serious headwinds, not least of which is the refusal of the East Asians to accept the premise that surrendering sovereignty on the altar of One-World is a good thing.

Sep. 8, 2018
05:14 pm JST

Sep. 8, 2018
05:17 pm JST

Sep. 8, 2018
05:24 pm JST

To bring it back on topic, Free Trade is always the best way to go, regardless of you political persuasion. Protectionism only harms the ones it is so called protecting as in the long run those trading with you end up looking else where. Although, perhaps instead of walking away from the Pacific Deal, America should have stuck with it, as all this is going to do is be a bad rehash of that and although it could end up with a good deal the benefits and access to key Asian markets that the old deal could have brought will not be matched.

Sep. 8, 2018
07:42 pm JST

Sep. 8, 2018
08:01 pm JST

Trade policy has massive long-term ramifications on the strength of a nation's economy. Often people fail to note the difference between free and fair trade. In many ways, the global economy has become an ill-regulated business model tilted to favor big business and giant conglomerates. We should not lose sight of the fact that while free trade is important, fair trade is far more so and should be the main issue.

Developing a long-term sustainable economic system that is balanced would contribute to both global cohesion and the world economy. The article below is in response to a slew of comments from my recent article titled, "Higher Prices On Import Goods A Fair Cost For Jobs". Today many people supporting past trade agreements mistakenly use low consumer prices as a battle flag around which to rally.

Sep. 8, 2018
08:52 pm JST

Serrano: "Look at the size of that hand, haha"

hahaha... funny how personally you guys take comments about size on. Very telling. And if you think all is up to scale (and it honestly looks like it's been manipulated) you realize his hand is bigger than his entire head, and half his torso, right?

Sep. 8, 2018
11:36 pm JST

Sep. 8, 2018
11:49 pm JST

Sep. 9, 2018
12:26 am JST

The world has to stop perceiving US as a customer who doesn’t have things to sell too, in order to make a living. Trump is quite right on this.

Trump has to stop perceiving that America has something to sell that matches or betters the quality and price point that cant alreay be bought from other countries. Irony is those American products that meet the quality and price point that other countries are prepared to pay arnt made in American anymore.

Sep. 9, 2018
12:46 am JST

I wonder how quickly Abe is going to give in to every single US demand.

Unfortunately, all Abe will agree to is to buy more unneeded weapons, natural gas, or dirty coal. Or perhaps agree to move more J Inc. production to the U.S. Abe would never risk opening the highly protected agricultural markets here, despite the ever-decreasing/aging number of Japanese farmers. Maybe when rice hits $10/kg will the Japanese consumers finally realize that--as wtfjapan mentioned--the quality and price point can be met by other countries. Most likely they'll just say しょうがない.

Sep. 9, 2018
03:53 am JST

Sep. 9, 2018
06:28 am JST

Unless the Japan companies are able to procure the goods +shipping and taxes where it is profitable, then and only then will more US goods be sold in Japan at affordable market prices...until then, nope no way I will pay for a US product that is not guaranteed to be replaced at a cost to buy when I could buy a product locally made in Japan and get the same results.

Sep. 9, 2018
05:55 pm JST

Sep. 9, 2018
06:01 pm JST

Serrano: "Look at the size of that hand, haha"

smith: "hahaha... funny how personally you guys take comments about size on. Very telling. And if you think all is up to scale (and it honestly looks like it's been manipulated) you realize his hand is bigger than his entire head, and half his torso, right?"

Sep. 9, 2018
09:15 pm JST

Korea is an object lesson in what Japan should be doing to transition away from its adversarial black ship mentality with regard to food imports. Koreans have embraced trade reciprocity with gusto. Supermarkets there overflow with cheap, fresh imported produce that puts their Japanese equivalents to shame. Meanwhile Japan, which is better positioned and indeed vastly more obligated to lower the drawbridge and reduce the vast array of impediments that are designed to stifle competition, insists on maintaining a head in the sand intransigence. That it can ignore its own people’s legitimate claims to a greater share of the wealth pie is a given. Other countries will not be so easily pushed around.